When an individual sues a government organisation for millions of dollars, you can bet your plane tickets to Hong Kong that it’s going to be all over the news.
That’s why you know about the woman who sued PUB for $5 million after she fell into an open manhole five years ago.
There’s been a new development in the case, but for those who don’t know what the heck I’m talking about, here’s a recap:
Claims Fall Led to Multiple Injuries and Triggered Mental Illness
On 1 Dec 2015, Chan Hui Peng was walking along Simon Road at 10.30am when she fell 2m into an open manhole at an intersection with Upper Serangoon Road.
The fall left her with multiple injuries, including a fractured ankle, multiple bruises, spinal disc bulges, and abrasions in 11 areas of her body.
As a result, Chan claims she suffers from numerous maladies like lower back pain, neck pain, and an altered gait.
She also said the fall triggered a host of mental illnesses, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia.
PUB lawyers claimed she was using her phone while walking, but the woman denied this, and questioned the lack of warning notices or barricades near the open manhole.
There were three PUB officers present around the hole, but the woman claims they were not wearing safety gear, and didn’t warn her about the impending danger.
However, PUB’s lawyers claimed Chan has made a “mountain out of a molehill”, and accused her of being “dishonest in formulating her claim”.
Chan had initially sought $20 million, but slashed it down to $5 million later on.
Accused of Faking Mental Illness
On Tuesday (24 Nov) one of PUB’s defence laywers, K. Anparasan, accused Chan of faking her mental illness.
Chan was admitted to IMH between 29 June and 25 July this year, after she allegedly flung a bamboo pole out of the window following a dispute with her partner – who she claimed to be possessed.
Nearing the end of her stay, she had requested for her phone, in order to communicate with her lawyers about the lawsuit.
The lawyer argued that this showed a presence of mind, despite Chan’s claims.
The lawyer also noted that she had possessed enough mental clarity to arrange for the filing of a company’s annual returns, and even met up with buyers from her Carousell account.
Allegedly Asked For Changes in Medical Report
According to TODAYonline, Grace Tan, another lawyer from PUB’s team, argued that Chan tried to ask a psychologist to make changes to her medical reports.
However the psychologist allegedly refused to do so, believing that while Chan suffered from symptoms of PTSD, it wasn’t a fully developed disorder.
The trial was supposed to proceed today (27 Nov), but then the unexpected happened.
Woman Agrees to Settlement Out of Court
After four days in court, the woman accepted a settlement offer from PUB.
On Thursday at about 10pm, Chan’s lawyers — Ivan Lee and Letchamanan Devadason from Legalstandard LLP — accepted the offer to settle the lawsuit.
The terms of the offer, which was made on 10 Nov, cannot be disclosed.
This means the woman has suddenly accepted an offer that was made prior to the trial, which could’ve saved them lots of money if she had accepted right from the beginning.
However, the saga is far from over.
One of PUB’s lawyers said they will seek costs against Chan for the legal proceedings arising from her conduct and late acceptance of the offer.
Image: Radovan1 / Shutterstock.com (Image is for illustration purpose only)
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